Winter
by Jugbean
Summary: RenPiri, and a trip down to the candy shop in the snow. What's the cold when they have each other? Fluff, fluff and fluff, all in the name of winter.


Shaman King

Ren x Pirika

Fluff ahead. Oh, plus a rather OOC Ren.

chiri no tenshi

Winter

It was snowing quite heavily, yet it was not the cold that made the mighty head of Tao clan shiver.

It was in fact, the way she had her fingers laced around his.

Things were making him worried and he could not hide it. Try as he may, he kept glancing occasionally down at her direction with simple questions. He was doing it too often.

Not like he could help with it, anyway.

"Are you cold?" He looked down, asking for the umpteenth time.

Her response was the same.A girlish pout, then a bubbly giggle. Her fingers would squeeze his tenderly, assuring him she would at least survive until they both reached the candy shop downtown.

"I won't get frostbite, Ren! Stop asking already. I said I'm fine." Damn, she was doing that again. He couldn't help notice her crimson lips tucked out like that. It was way too distracting.

It killed him in the brain. Was it the cold causing his cells to freeze or her warmth?

It took all of Ren's willpower to look away as he let out a sigh. "Whose idea was it to get something from the candy shop, anyway?"

"I was hungry!" Pirika retorted, mocking a hurt look. "You said you would accompany me, didn't you?"

"Oh, I did, didn't I?" Ren rolled his eyes. So she was acting innocent all of a sudden? He would play along. "I'm risking frostbite for you."

"I'm touched." She stuck up her nose.

"How honest. I didn't even notice the sarcasm." Ren answered back in a dull tone, initiating the giggles to flow with her breath once more. He had to remind himself not to collapse from sheer bliss at hearing those familiar sounds.

"I am being sincere!" Pirika corrected, laughing.

"Hn."

There was silence that followed after that, but it was peaceful in a sort of way. Ren likened the scenery of the cold, frigid snow to those milk, starry skies he would see during the warmer seasons.

Especially walking alongside her, smelling the scent of that strawberry shampoo strewn with pine grapes and--

Pirika sneezed.

He drew her closer instinctively, his hand releasing itself from her grasp to snake around her waist, drawing her into his embrace.

"This coming from someone who just declared frostbite-immuned." Ren pretended to sigh.

He was rewared with a light punch in his well-muscled chest.

"Mou, I shall pretend I didn't hear that."

A half-smile got to his lips. It went as easily as it came.

"Yeah," He leant forward to tighten the draws of her winter coat, "It's just a few more distances ahead. Bear with the cold awhile."

She looked up with a beam, "Oh, I wouldn't mind the cold."

"I'd believed that."

They had stopped walking somehow.

"You would."

She rested her head on his shoulder, her voice muffled against his thick clothing. "I'm not as cold when I'm with you."

And there and then, the head of the impregnable Tao clan melted.

The impenetrable defenses placed so carefully around his cynical, skeptical heart as usual crumbles into smithereens at these words, and Tao Ren had his difficulties suppressing a smile on his face.

If anyone saw that goofy look he had, they would think they were walking on the corners of dreamland. He would never live to see the next day with the same status of reputation as before.

Still, only Pirika had this capability.

His other hand went around her. He could feel her tremble slightly from the cold and it was his part of chivalry and concern that encircled her into his closer embrace.

"We have to get to the candy shop." He reminded gently. "Or you'll never get your candies."

"I know." Her voice was velvet.

Yet both made no attempt to move.

"Ren?" She was laughing again. Heck, she did that so often and so wonderfully, he wouldn't mind her doing that every now and then.

"Yeah." He answered subconsciously. He was too busy appreciating the white beauty before him. The snow was beautiful.

"We're going to be buried by snow if this keeps up." Pirika giggled girlishly.

He snorted. "Like I'd care."

Pirika gazed into his eyes, the smile and twinkle in those aqua depths never faltering. "Yeah. It wouldn't be so bad, would it?"

He had to remind himself to breathe.

The snow was beautiful, but hers - her beauty - put everything else to shame.

"Yeah, we can be snowmen and entertain the kids who bypass us." Ren said.

She giggled as his arms came around hers once more.

Aah, yes, the winter season was cold, cold and cold, but in his arms, it was all the warmth she needed to be alive and breathing to make the winter season all beautiful.

****

Owari

Whee! Short and hopefully sweet enough. Arrk I made Ren OOC again.. --

chiri no tenshi


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